True costs

A few years ago I had some enquiries from people wanting to buy any excess eggs of ours.

Our hens have a half acre all to themselves, fully fenced from predators, with 3 coops, and about 8 permanent nest boxes, although they like to make up their own in odd places! Where they live I have planted an orchard, and they can sit and dust themselves under the trees and eat any fallen fruit and bugs.

We had seven hens back then, all heritage breeds laying interestingly coloured large eggs.

I did a rough calculation in my head (when they were laying well) and guessed the eggs cost about $3.50 per dozen, so sold them at  $5 per dozen, and soon I had far more orders than I could fill!

At the time proper free range eggs cost $14.95 per dozen at the supermarket.

So the next season when I went to pick up some chicks for a broody, I chose far more than I needed, 10 I think. And for some reason I picked 9 hens and one cockeral! Then someone gave us four more young hens they couldn't keep. Then one hen wouldn't stop being broody so I just bought her six eggs to sit on, and 4 of those were hens.

So we ended up with twenty four hens, which really we didn't need.

Never mind I thought, we'll just sell the extra eggs and that might cover the feed bill. Sounded good, good for me, good for purchasers.

However, things didn't go to plan.

It turns out people really don't like paying for things. Some were always really good, and wouldn't even consider not paying - as I thought most would be.

I had two regular 'forgetters' of their money. That's ok I thought, next time, but they ended up only contributing to at the most half of what they took.

I had all sorts of funny reasons why people shouldn't pay too.

"But I have hens" was the weirdest!

"But I come out to see you" was insulting.

"I can't be bothered to find where my hens are laying" 

"its just easier to get eggs from you"

"I lent you something once"

"I've just given you a few egg boxes"

After a while I became tired of the excuses, and insisted on payment at the time. I had all sorts of guilt remarks, such as I've had to take this money out of my daughter's money box for you, I only have a twenty dollar note - that's ok! I have change.

Eventually they stopped comming, and I felt a bit easier about the whole thing.

Then I went through the number of eggs laid and the feed cost bill.

What a shock!

Being old breeds, they don't lay every day, and they have a break for moulting, and a break in the winter, all this time they still need to eat. Also to rear a hen from a chick to laying costs feed for more than six months. Some weeks in the high summer or winter I would only get 1 egg a day, and still put out $5 of feed.

So I finally admitted to myself that my eggs were costing me a massive $12.30 per dozen over a year.

That's not counting petrol etc to fetch the feed, and time.

I felt dreadful, and so foolish. All that money wasted! All the time I spent trying to explain to people that they should pay, as the eggs don't just materialise in my fridge by magic.

All the feelings of hurt and emptiness I had when people took from us, and never contributed. 

I realised these people were using me, they weren't my friends - they certainly stopped visiting when they weren't handed eggs as they left.

Every one wants good food. Some people want free food. But the price of high quality food is far more than battery laid eggs are. I have no idea how they charge so little for them. I suppose when you are buying feed by the tonne you might get a better price, but not from the feed store as I do it.

Now I am back to 10 hens, we get 5 - 8 eggs per day at the moment, and I have 2 two year olds who will soon become dinner. I don't feel bad eating them. They have had the best life on our farm for a long time, and I am so grateful to them. Chicken is an absolute treat for us, and a rare one at that. The chicken in the shops is just an eight week old chick, which can't have had much life in comparison.

I'm happy again. I love my hens, I love their beautiful eggs, and the way they nourish our family. Every egg has been given so much love and care to be produced, and they are the best eggs I have ever seen or tasted.

I guess I wanted to share how wonderful they were a while ago.

I felt a bit guilty not sharing them!

Now I don't feel selfish anymore. 

I'm glad I've learned from that time.